September/October 1994 Vol. XIX No.5 U.S. Department of the Interior Technical Bulletin Fish and Wildlife Service Can CITES Save the Box Turtle? by Susan Lieberman Box turtles play an important role in seed dispersal for a variety of native forest plants. In the wild, these animals can live more than 100 years, but most of those captured for the pet trade do not survive for long. Everyone, it seems, likes turtles. Talk The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) In any pet shop in Western Europe, one is to people who grew up in the has learned that tens of thousands of likely to see North American box turtles Northeast, South, or Midwest of the North American box turtles (Terrapene for sale, sometimes for up to $ 100 each. United States about box turtles, howev- spp.) are being taken out of the wild — Based on data gathered by the FWS er, and they'll likely say the same thing: and lost to the species — every year for Division of Law Enforcement, almost "Yes, they used to be common, but you the international pet trade. 27,000 box turtles were exported in 1992 don't see as many any more." Where Turtles and tortoises are highly prized by alone. The 1993 records are still being have all the box turtles gone? many pet keepers and hobbyists. The compiled, but incomplete data show that Certainly there have been significant international demand for box turdes is more than 18,000 were exported last population declines due to habitat always increasing, partictilarly in Europe, year. Wildlife import/export inspectors degradation and destruction. But a where trade in many rare tortoise species reported that 8,000-14,000 individuals more direct threat has come to light. is banned by the European Community. of a single species, Terrapene Carolina, (Continued on Page 16) 1 ENDANGERED SPECIES TECHNICAL BULLETIN Vol. XIX No. 5 the season to photograph many of our species in bloom. The photographer was most interested in the last locality of Orcutt's spineflower (Chorizanthe orcuttiana). Fewer than 50 individuals of this species (which was proposed in October 1993 for listing as Endangered) were noted last year, and it failed to germinate this year. Sites visit- ed included Encinitas, Otay Mesa ver- nal pools, Torrey Pines State Park, and the Santa Ana River wash in San Bernardino. National Geographic is scheduled to publish the endangered Region 1 — Fish and Wildlife Service the Endangered Species Act. National species feature early in 1995. (FWS) biologists recently assisted Joel Geographic was seeking photos of Satori, a National Geographic photog- extremely rare and declining plant ***** rapher working on a feature article on species. Unfortunately, it was too late in As detailed in Bulletin Vol. XIX No. 3 (1994), the Pacific pocket mouse U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 2, P.O. Box 1306, Albuquerque, NM Washington, D.C. 20240 87103 (505-766-2321); John G. Rogers, Re- (Perognathus longimembris pacificus) was gional Director; James A. Young, Assistant emergency-listed as Endangered on Mollie Beattie Regional Director; Susan MacMullin, Director Endangered Species Specialist February 2 because of imminent threats (202-208-4717) to the only known population. A pro- Region 3, Federal BIdg., Fort Snelling, Twin posal to give the animal long-term pro- Nancy Kaufman, Cities, MN 55111 (612-725-3500); Sam Acting Assistant Director for Marler, Regional Director; John tection was published in the Federal Ecological Services Blankenship, Assistant Regional Director; Register with the emergency rule. In (202-208-4646) Bob Adair, Endangered Species Specialist. response, the FWS received 71 com- Jamie Rappaport Clark, Chief, Region 4, 1875 Century Blvd., Suite 200, ments from the public, the majority of Division of Endangered Species Atlanta, GA 30345 (404-679-4000); John R. (703-358-2171) Eadie, Acting Regional Director; Tom Olds, which supported listing the species Assistant Regional Director; David and/or preserving its only known occu- M. Kathleen Bartoloni, Chief Flemming, Endangered Species Specialist Branch of Information Management pied habitat. No new detections of the (703-358-2390) Region 5, 300 Westgate Center Drive, Hadley Pacific pocket mouse were reported. MA 01035 (413-253-8659); Ronald E. TECHNICAL BULLETIN Lambertson, Regional Director; Ralph Editor, Michael Bender Pisapia, Assistant Regional Director; Paul Associate Editor, Jennifer Heck Nickerson, Endangered Species Specialist Art Director, Lorraine Miller On June 26-27, fire (reportedly start- (703-358-2390) Region 6, P.O. Box 25486, Denver Federal ed by a cigarette or fireworks) ravaged (FAX 703-358-1735) Center; Denver, CO 80225 (303-236-7920); the Moapa National Wildlife Refuge in Ralph O. Morgenweck, Regional Director; Elizabeth Stevens, Acting Assistant southern Nevada. The refuge was Regional Offices Regional Director; Larry Shanks, established to preserve the Moapa dace Endangered Species Specialist Region 1, Eastside Federal Complex, 911 (Moapa coriacea), an Endangered desert N.S. 11th Avenue, Portland, OR 97232- Region 7, 1011 E.Tudor Rd., Anchorage, AK fish endemic to Nevada's Muddy 4181 (503-231-6118); Michael J. Spear, 99503 (907-786-3542); Dave Allen, Acting Regional Director; Dale Hall, Assistant Regional Director; Janet Hohn, Assistant (Moapa) River system. Streams on and Regional Director; Jim Bartel, and Vicki Regional Director; Dave McGillivary, immediately below the refuge provided Finn, Endangered Species Specialists. Endangered Species Specialist the only remaining spawning habitat for this fish. Prior to the fire, the refuge U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regions supported more than 500 Moapa dace. Region 1: California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the Pacific Trust Territories. Region 2: Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Region 3: Illinois, Indiana, On July 5, however, only one could be Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Region 4: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Region 5: Connecticut, Delaware, found on the refuge. District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. Region 6: Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Intensive management will be needed Region 7: Wyoming. Alaska. to prevent the loss of this monotypic genus. Personnel from the Desert Printed with vegetable-based ink on recycled and recyclable paper. If you do not keep back issues, please recycle the paper, pass them along to an interested National Wildlife Refuge complex, person, or donate them to a local school or library. FWS Reno Office, and the Reno Field (Continued on Page 17) 2 ENDANGERED SPECIES TECHNICAL BULLETIN Vol. XIX No. 5 Killer Pigs, Vines, and Fungi: Alien Species Threaten Native Ecosystems by Faith Thompson Campbell Alien species — those grasses, and other alien introduced by human action plants. Another example is into environments they have represented by the not reached by natural means Mississippi River drainage, — have transformed entire which is a globally impor- ecosystems throughout the tant center of diversity for United States. The mollusks. Many listed American chestnut (Castanea mussels from that system, dentata), once one-quarter of already threatened with the standing volume in the extinction by habitat alter- eastern deciduous forest, is ation, now face being now reduced to root sprouts smothered by the zebra and a few adults by the rav- mussel (Dreissena polymor- ages of the introduced chest- pha). This rapidly spread- nut blight fungus ing pest was introduced (Cryphonectria parasitica). A into the Great Lakes in survey of 8 million acres ship ballast water during (3,239,000 hectares) of the 1980's (see Bulletin southern Florida's "river of Vol. XV, No. 11), and is grass" — the Everglades spreading rapidly. ecosystem — by the South At least three species of Florida Water Management plants once found on the District found 488,000 Channel Islands off south- acres (198,000 hectares) to ern California already have be infested with dense become extinct as a result monocultural stands of the of grazing by introduced Australian tree, Melaleuca livestock, especially goats. quenquinervia. Melaleuca According to the stands displace the native California Native Plant sawgrass prairies that support Society, another 30 plant the region's unique wading species in California that bird populations, and they are listed or proposed for transpire large amounts of listing under the Act are Before being attacked by a non-native fungus, the American chestnut was water, thus exacerbating the one of the dominant tree species in the eastern deciduous forest. also threatened by alien increasing dryness of this species, often competition marsh. In the West, the Bureau of Land tributing $75,000 a year to a joint from non-native plants. Management reports that more than 10 Federal-State effort to contain the invad- Among species of animals and plants million acres (4,049,000 hectares) of ing Melaleuca. listed since January 1991, alien species grassland in northern California has been Many of our crown jewels of biological are considered to be a threat to 18 overrun by yellow star thistle (Centaurea diversity are under severe threat. In the species found in the continental United sobtitialis). Hawaiian Islands, more than 200 birds, States. The most vulnerable species are The resources of at least 96 national invertebrates, and plants are being those found on islands — true islands, parks are being harmed by exotic ani- pushed toward extinction by non- such as the Hawaiian Islands or the mals, and invasive plants are damaging native species, including feral cats (Felis Channel Islands, or the isolated moun- the resources of at least 109 parks. Alien cattus), rats {Rattus spp.), goats (Capra tain peaks or bodies of water that can species also threaten many national hircus) and pigs (Sus scrofa)-, other form "biological islands." wildlife refuges.